Introduction: Pyrite & Obsidian Gemstone Hoop Earrings

By My Beads Australia
About: My beads is a bead store in Australia specialising in jewellery made from wire and gemstone beads.

In this tutorial we are using some wonderful stainless steel hoop earring findings - they are so easy to use (just pull out the wire from the crimp attachment at the top), and slide on your beads! They even have a little hole if you would like to dangle a bead in the middle… which of course we did! In this design, we have used some lovely Pyrite beads and Golden Obsidian beads. We think they make for a striking combo! We’ve made a couple of different design – see at the bottom for something slightly different. These earrings took next to no time to make – the hardest part is cutting that hard stainless steel wire (tips below!). Of course the possible combinations of colours and shapes are endless for these earrings – the only limitation is the curve of the hoop – so beads with a long (straight) hole will not go on.

Supplies

Beads & Materials

2x 8mm faceted round gemstone bead (we’ve used Golden Obsidian)

4x 6mm faceted round gemstone bead (we’ve used Golden Obsidian)

2x Larger flat bead for dangle, 14mm to 18mm works well (we’ve used Pyrite Discs 16mm)

11/0 Seed Beads (we’ve used Metallic Grey Seed Beads)

10x Stainless Steel Rondelle Spacer Beads

2x Stainless Steel Earring Hoops

2x Stainless Steel Earwires

2x Stainless Steel Headpins

Tools You’ll Need:

Round Nose Pliers

Side Cutters

Flat Nose Pliers

Step 1: Open Hoop

Pull out the wire from one side of the earring hoop.

Step 2: Add Your Beads

Simply thread on your beads! We’ve used 9 seed beads either side of the gemstone beads (so 18 seed beads per earring). And we’ve used a stainless steel rondelle spacer between each gemstone bead. Then insert the wire back into the connector at the top.

Note: If you would like the earring to be totally secure, you can now go ahead and crimp the side of the connector that you just inserted the wire into (use very fine needle nose pliers). Be careful not to push the wire in too far, as if you cover the small hole with your wire you will not be able to attach your dangle. However, crimping the connector is not really necessary – the wire itself is a memory wire, and the tension will hold the wire in place.

Step 3: Make the Dangle

Now it’s time to make the dangle. Take your headpin, and slide on your Pyrite Disc bead. Add a stainless steel rondelle spacer. Measure about 1cm above this bead and prepare to cut. And here’s the tricky part – normal pliers will struggle to cut through stainless steel headpins (and will likely get quite damaged in trying to do so). In fact, even my memory wire cutters ended up just ‘smooshing’ the wire and bending it, and wouldn’t cut through.

The technique that ended up working best for me was using a very cheap pair of cutters (or an old damaged pair) to mark the pin where I wanted to cut. I marked it a couple of times at the same position above the bead, just moving the pliers around the wire. Then I gently bent the wire back and forth until the wire snapped at that point.

Step 4: Make the Loop on the Dangle

Using round nose pliers, form a loop in your headpin. Leave it open to attach to your hoop.

Step 5: Attach to Hoop

Attach the open loop to the small hole on the earring hoop connector. Close the loop with your flat nose pliers.

Step 6: Add the Earwire

Now simply attach your earwire. Because these earwires have a ball on the loop at the bottom, you’ll have to thread them onto the hoop from the other end of the earwire.

Close the gap in your earwire using flat nose pliers.

Step 7: Make the Other Earring

Make the matching earring, and you're done!

Step 8: Another Design

This is another design using the same technique, also using some of the lovely Pyrite (plus some Black Onyx ovals).